When Elena Williams moved to the United States from Germany in 2005, it was the simple things from home for which she pined.

"I miss a place where I can just sit down and have a cup of coffee and a piece of cake," she told her mother on the phone one day.

Sure, there were plenty of eateries, but none seemed to serve the traditional German fare to which she was accustomed. She dreamed of opening her own café like the ones sprinkled throughout communities across her homeland.

Always warm and inviting, the cafes beckoned passersby to come in and stay a while, perhaps to share a conversation while mulling over some Black Forest cake.

"We were starving for a good roll," Williams said longingly. "In the morning you would have a brötchen (a German hard roll) with a little bit of honey or jelly or Nutella or even lunch meats."

Absence made her heart grow fonder until she forged her fantasy into reality by opening Katharina's Café and Konditorei in Newport this month. Konditorei is German for a pastry and confectionery shop.

Twenty-eight-year-old Williams serves breakfast and a deli-style lunch with items made fresh daily, by her mother and cook, Christine Hambuch.

Soups, salads, pastries and cakes are also on the menu, as are coffee and espresso made with coffee beans from Newberry Bros., just down the street.

Williams' goal was to have customers experience an authentic German café and kaffee haus (coffee house) with an atmosphere of gemütlichkeit, a coziness that inspires a cheery, peaceful mood.

"There's a review out there that says it's very authentic and even the staff and customers talk in fluent German," said Williams, from Mainz. "At one point there were all Germans in here and we were just chatting along, meeting each other."

Perhaps that's a nod to the German heritage in the region and the evidence of German culture throughout Greater Cincinnati.

It's clear that the message has gotten out in the German community.

Phillip Wieland, of Highland Heights, said he was curious when he heard about Katharina's while at Hofbräuhaus Newport.

Wieland is a member of the Germania Society and is active within the German community in Greater Cincinnati.

Wieland was stationed in Germany while in the Army from from 1975 to 1977 and again in 1979 to 1984.

During his tour he became intimately familiar with German cuisine. He also makes an annual trip to Germany to celebrate Carnival (Karneval), similar to Mardi Gras.

Wieland popped into Katharina's on a Wednesday, his off day. He was back the following Wednesday and made plans to return on Saturday.

"You can't find any other place like this," Wieland said, as he enjoyed his brötchen and typed on his computer. "This is a typical German breakfast. When I was in Germany in January, this is what my friend served in her guest house of our hotel."

For Wieland, it's as if he's in his second home back in Germany with every detail spot-on, right down to the German-style salt shakers.

"Last week I sat here for like two or three hours and talked to her father," Wieland said of Williams' father, Herbert, who remodeled the space prior to opening. "He told me where he was from and I used to referee American football right near his hometown."

Anna Herting, a 17-year-old foreign exchange student from Lübeck, Germany, said entering Katharina's was very reminiscent of her native Germany.

"When you would walk around the city, you see these little stores all the time," said Herting, who lives with her host family in Independence while attending Simon Kenton High School this year.

She enjoyed one of the more popular menu items, the Newporter, a sandwich which may include honey, marmalade, butter, wurst, ham and cheese.

"It's a pretty nice taste after nine months or so," Herting said. "It's authentically German and I like the whole atmosphere, which is ambiente (a nice atmosphere or ambiance)."

Williams said she's had people travel to her café from as far as Dayton, Ohio, for her breakfasts.

"I think that says it all," Williams said.

Although Katharina is also Williams' middle name, the café is her grandmother's namesake. Williams comes from a long line of bakers and cooks including her grandmother and parents, who have managed several restaurants and owned two in Germany.

Williams moved to the United States after meeting her husband, Aaron.

After settling in Florence, the couple moved to Newport, which Williams said is just like home to her.

"I couldn't find a better replacement to where I grew up," Williams said. "The first time I drove down the cut in the hill, I looked up and I thought I just flew nine hours. I thought I was totally back home and it threw me for a second."

Williams said while Germany is quite different from location to location, Northern Kentucky stretching into Cincinnati is nearly a replica of her hometown.

"There is no way we are going to move out of this house," Williams said. "Newport has so much to offer. I love this city and this is home now."

When the space on Overton Street became available, she knew it was the perfect place for her café.

At the age of 28, she remodeled, transforming the building by painting, adding walls, new chairs and tables and a breakfast nook. The café also offers free Wi-Fi.

Williams hasn't had much time to think about it, keeping 14-hour or so work days, but she is thrilled that people have been so receptive to the concept of Katharina's. ⬛